The Portland daily press., 1887-01-12
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Governor BodweIl Talks to a Press
Reporter Regarding Prison Labor.
eat
Sensible Talk About the Carriage
Manufacturing Matter.
Suggestions Which 1t Will be Wise
to Adopt.
List of the Committees of the Gov
ernor's Council.
The Report Regarding the Major
General Erroneous.
The Seat In the Clifton Class to be
Contested.
Notes OF General Interest Regarding
Legislative Proceedings.
The Seat In the clifton Class to be
Contested.
Notes OF General Interest Regarding
Legislative Proceedings.
Especial to the Press.]

Especial to the Press]
AUGUSTA, Jan. 11.-Govern0r B0dwell
has seen the protest signed by the carriage
manufacturers of Portland, and he has to
say in reference to it, that he based the rec
ommendations of his inaugural on what he
saw and heard at Thomaston. He under
stood there that the prices put upon the work
were such as not to cut under private manu-
facturers, and he already knew that the
workmanship on prison products was excel
lent He carefully examined the situation
at the prison to see if there was no way in
which the liability to competition with out
side labor might be reduced; and the re-
suits of his examination and inquiries he
embodied in the recommendations of his |
message. He did not know, he says, of the
methods employed to sell the prison goods
by the agents in Portland. He supposed |
that the wagons We're put upon the market |
as ordinary work, not as work that could be |
sold cheaper because produced cheaper; and |
he does not hesitate to say that the method |
adopted in Portland of advertising to sell |
goods cheap because manufactured by the
labor of convicts is all wrong. He even goes
so far as to say that State Prison goods
should not be advertised as sucn wnetner
the prices do or do not cut under the market
prices for that advertisement carries with
It the presumption of cheap labor and cheap
prices. Such advertisements as those put
out in Portland, Mr.. Bodwell thinks, may |
ers But he hopes that the latter will sup
plement their newspaper complaints with
formal statement OF their grievances at
Augusta. Then the agents of the State in
the handling of prison goods can be heard |
on the other side, and the right and wrong |
of the present system be illustrated. The
Governor is anxious to learn just to what
extent the labor done at the prison (distin-
had frnrR fl.n lol. nNfA do
such ready-made articles as wheels, springs, |
etc., comes in competition with free labor; |
and to just what extent this competition in |
tcrferes with private manufacturers. Then, |
If these facts accurately ascertained be diff |
ferent from what his visit to Thomaston led |
him to infer, he is ready to entertain and |
recommend any proposition which may offer |
a right remedy. Mr.. Bodwell is especially |
anxious that the carriage manufacturers,
instead Of bringing merely complaints, shall |
offer some suggestions as to the best remedy |
for the difficulty. There are the convicts, |
and they must be employed at some work |
that will give them trades and keep them |
busy. This truth must be put at the bottom |
of any plan to relieve private concerns.
Committees of the Council.
On Warrants-Iord Sumner, Hunt
Accounts-Carter, Wood, Sumner
State Prison and Pardons-Hunt, Rand, Carter. |
Election Returns-Rand, Carter, Hunt.
Taxation and Expenditures = Wood, Carter, |
Warren
Public Lands and Buildings-wo Warren.
State Benefciaries and Pensions = Warren,
Reform Scnool-Warren Lord, Wood.
Insane Hospital-Rand, Lord, Sumner.
Public Instruction -WAFren, Carter, Lord.
military. Affairs SUMMER, Lord, Hunt
Indian Affairs-Sumner, Hunt, Warren.
Library-Carter, Warren, Wood.
Pay Roll-Hunt, Rand, Lord
Visiting Committee to Insane Hospital-Sum-
Visiting Committee to State Prison. Hunt.
Visiting Committee to Reform School-Wood,
Lord, Warren, and with them is associated Mrs. /
George s. Hunt of Portland.
The Major ceneraIship.
The report that Colonel Mitchell of Ban
gor has been promoted to take Brigadier |
General Browns place is erroneous. The |
Adjutant General has merely issued an
order for Colonel Mitchell to take command
of the militia until General Browns success
sor shall have been chosen. This choice
rests with six militia officers, the two
colonels, two lieutenant colonels and two
majors. 1t has been reported that three of
these would be for Colonel Mitchell, and
three for General Lynch of Portland But |
it is now said that Major Ben Hill of Au- |
burn, now Senator from Andr0Scoggin, is |
likely to be the man.
a Contested Seat.
There is to be a contest for the seat of Mr..
John Scott, who is seated as the represen-
tative from Clifton. The Clifton class is
strongly Republican, but Mr.. Scott is per-
sonally very popular in the district and
poled three votes more than his competitor,
whose name is G.. A. Scott of Greenbush.
G. A. Scott is here, and filed his affidavits
with the clerk Saturday. Illegal voting is
alleged in several instances, although Mr..
John Scott says that these allegations can
not be proved.
Commerce and Temperance.
Representative Wakefield of Bath will in
troduce very soon, probably tomorrow, a
joint resolution calling upon Congress TO de-
feat the Dunn free ship bill,-a bill which
the resolution characterizes as most destruc-
tive to a great industry of Maine, and most
valuable industry of the whole country.
An attempt is to be made to pass ''short
haul" bill, or a bill to prevent railroads
charging higher freights for short distance
| than for longer distance that contains this
| shorter distance.
| The order for the appointment of the joint
been passed in the House. Mr.. Allen of Of Al
| fred, is spoken Of as the right man for the
| craftsmanship If he will accept it. Mr.. Loon
| ey of Portland, IS also said to be booked for
| that committee
The Age OF Consent.
| A petition of the Womans Christian Tenn
| perace Union, calling attention to the in
creasing and alarming frequency of assaults
| upon women and girls as the shame of our
civilization, and asking that tbe age at which
girl may consent to her own ruin may be
raised to IS years, will be presented tomor-
row morning. 1t is very strong petition,
being signed by President Hyde of Bowdoin
| College, all the professors of the college, the
| clergymen and the business men of Bruins
| wick. This is believed to be the first petit
| tion of the kind presented to the Legislature
| for a long time.
Another Labor Bill.
Following is the full text of the weekly
| payment bill introduced by Mr.. Noble of
Lewiston:
An Act to provide for the Weekly Payment of
Wages by Corporations;
SEC. 1. Every manufacturing, mining or quar-
ryng, mercantile, street railway telegraph, tele-
phone and municipal corporation, and every
Incorporated company, shall pay weekly each and
every employe engaged in the business the wages
earned by such employe 20 within six days of the
date of said pByment; provided, hoWever, that If
from his ey Of he sha BE-
entitled t0sald payment at any time thereafter
| upon demand.
SEC. 2. Any corporation violating any of the
provisions Of this act shall be punished by fine
of not less than ten dollars and not exceedingthfty
dollars on each complaint under which it is con-
victed, proUtded complaint for such violation is
made within thirty days from the date thereof.
SEC. g. When corporation against which a
complaint is made under this act fails to appear
after being duly served with process, Its default
shall be recorded and judgment shall be rendered
accordingly.
SEC. A. When Judgment is rendered upon any
such complaint against corporation, the court
may issue warrant of distress to compel the pay
ment of the penalty prescribed by law, together
with costs and interest from the rendition Of judg
ment.
SEC. 8. This act shall take effect when ap-
proved
Gettysburg Monuments.
Representative Moore of Deering, will
probably introduce tomorrow bill making
provision for erecting monuments to mark
the places of the Maine troops on the battle
field of Gettysburg. This bill is drawn up
| already II cnnfnnnlntns the annrnnriatinn